Construction on the John Paul II Catholic School is nearing completion.

Principal Chris Paul said construction began in February and school officials anticipate being in the new building by Thanksgiving.

The new school is a 2-story and 28,000-square-foot building, Paul said. She said the cost of the school is about $7.5 million.

Paul said the faculty started this school year with students in grades 7 through 9 and will add a grade each year until the school serves students in grades 7 through 12. The new school features wireless communication and rooms for art, science, and technology classes, in addition to regular classrooms.

The school will also have a chapel, commons area for lunch, masses, and assemblies.

“It also has an innovation center where students can congregate, collaborate, and learn,” Paul said.

The school currently has six full-time teachers and three-part-time teachers.

Faculty, staff and students began the school year at Okatee Baptist Church, which is about 1.4 miles from the construction of the new school on S.C. 170.

Paul said once funds are raised, the next building to be constructed will be an athletic center. The 70-acre campus plan shows baseball, multi-purpose, and football fields, she said.

St. Gregory the Great Catholic School Principal Christopher Trott said the new school is progressing significantly now that the weather has cooperated.

“After the many days and weeks of rain, having some drier weather has helped,” Trott said.

Trott said he said he believes many people, especially those who travel on S.C. 170 regularly, are excited to see the progress of the new school.

“Students are anxiously awaiting the complete move into the new facility, which will be state-of-the-art and innovative,” Trott said. “I know that the stakeholders of the local Catholic parishes and greater community will enjoy a tour and visit of the complex after this initial phase is done.”

Trott said the goal is to have a fluid Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade opportunity for any family interested in a Catholic education for their child. St. Gregory the Great Catholic School will house the children until the end of they complete 6th grade and then students will make the transition to John Paul II Catholic School that will take on grades 7 through 12, Trott said.

Trott said a similar opportunity exists for students of St. Peter’s Catholic School (Beaufort) and St. Francis by the Sea Catholic School (Hilton Head) who go through the grade 8. Their students would join JPII to start their high school careers.

“The transition of students from the elementary level to the junior high and high school level should be seamless because we are network of Catholic schools who use the same standards and benchmarks for Catholic education,” Trott said. “Our schools collaborate effectively to share resources and to ensure that we are serving the needs of the children the best way possible.”

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